Commonly point attack mine and road milling tools are so designed to necessitate brazing of the cutter tip at the end of the tool in appropriately provided cavity. This method requires that brazing alloys be compatible with steel shank and cutter tip material, to wet both materials and to provide good bond without deterioration of material properties. Low brazing temperatures are needed in order not to anneal heat treated steel shanks. In that manner a cutter tip is permanently attached to the shank.
Disadvantages of this method are higher manufacturing costs (cost of brazing alloy plus processing), the need for development of new brazing alloys for each new cutter tip material and the fact that removal of the damaged tip is more costly than discarding the whole assembly which prevents its replacement.